All About Us
by Zenchn
Summary: Things aren't working out for Kishu or Ichigo. No matter what they do, they can't get away from each other and the world is still at stake. Short chapters for a short and sweet story
1. Chapter 1

Kishu hung in the air above the city looking down on the busy people of Toyko. He crossed his arms, frowning. He'd been here too long. If he was honest with himself, he would admit the mission he had originally come to Earth with was now the furthest thing from his mind.

A vision of Ichigo – smiling, laughing, glaring at him – burst uninvited into his mind. The feel of her lips as he had kissed her that one time, that one time which he still couldn't get out of his head.

He was here for a reason, for a mission. He had to take Earth back so that his people could return and survive. They had waited far too long, and conditions back home were worsening every day. He should be focused! He should be seeing only his goal and striking down those that stood in the way.

But – damn that girl – he couldn't get her out of his head. He looked forward to every battle with the Mew Mews. It wasn't for the thought of winning as it should have been, but for the thought of seeing her again. For the fire in her eyes. To hear his name fall from her lips.

Just to see her.

Fists clenched, Kishu could feel his nails digging into his palms. Ichigo didn't see him like that, he wasn't stupid. She only had eyes for Ayoama, that fool. How could she love a simple human? He was only one of a million conformers soiling the planet, soiling Earth. But somehow he had blinded her and Ichigo couldn't see through him.

The air next to him shimmered; his friends, his companions, appeared next to him.

"What are you doing way out here?" Pai asked. He hung in the air, eyes ever thoughtful. Kishu considered voicing his thoughts, his fears, but he knew to do that would be dangerous. Pai was older than he was and though they had been together a long time, he was more loyal to their people than e was to Kishu. He'd call him a traitor. On Pai's other side Taruto floated aimlessly looking bored. He was too young to fully understand.

While Kishu trusted his companions, he knew he could tell neither of them the truth of his thoughts. So he said: "Planning our next attack of course." He revealed his teeth in a grin.

"What, you've got _another_ plan? The last one didn't work out so well in case you don't remember," Taruto reminded him, opening just one eye to look at him. Pai revealed no surprise.

"Let us hear it then."

"I say our main problem isn't the Mew Mews themselves," Kishu began, raising a hand against their protests. "Think about it. They were humans before and without their transformations they wouldn't be able to stand against us. They wouldn't be able to do a thing."

"So we stop them from transforming? How," Taruto demanded, fully alert now.

"That wasn't quite what I was getting at, but now that you mention it..."

"Preventing them from changing is not defeating them," Pai interrupted.

"No, not exactly. It's like defeating them without the fighting."

Pai raised an eyebrow as though he much would have preferred the fighting, despite the fact that tact had been getting them no where. Taruto, however, rubbed his pale hands together in glee.

"I like it! It sounds sneaky and sneaky is so much fun!"

Kishu grinned at his little friend. It did sound fun, and more than that it would give him an excuse to see Ichigo again.


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo scrubbed at a stubborn spot on one of the pink-topped tables. It felt like she was at the café all the time these days. She went to school and then to work right after. Other than that her life consisted of fighting and sleep. Not that she'd been getting much of that.

Lately, she'd been having a lot of weird dreams. It made sense to have bad dreams with all that had been happening lately, all the fighting they been doing, but it was becoming more and more frequent that she'd wake up in a cold sweat. She didn't feel like she could tell anyone about it either. She wanted to talk her mom, but in order for her to understand she'd have to tell the truth about her being a Mew Mew. It was the same with a Ayoama. The other Mew Mews would just pick on her – Mint would for sure. And Ryou?

Ichigo snorted softly, as if she'd tell him anything.

"Um, Ichigo? I think that table is clean now."

She looked up to see Retasu watching her with eyebrows bunched. She straightened and gave a nervous laugh.

"I guess it is!"

"Are you okay? Ichigo?"

It was a perfect opportunity. All she had to do was admit the dreams and that all the work was starting to get her. It was a lot of pressure to save the world – her stress was understandable! And Retasu would be the perfect person to tell. She was so gentle and sweet and she'd never tell anyone else—

"Ichigo is so spacey," Mint sniffed from where she was drinking her tea. "Wiping just one table, even you should be able to manage that."

Ichigo felt her face flush, and she clutched her cloth tightly. "You could help you know, instead of just drinking tea all the time! Some of us are actually working."

Mint raised an eyebrow, her teacup hovering before her delicate mouth. "Is that what you call working? It's a good thing you don't work for me, I'd have to fire you."

The other girls laughed and so did a few the customers who were within hearing range. Ryou walked through the double doors at that point, offering a smirk then telling Bu-ling to get down from the chandelier before she hurt herself. He left out the front door, hands shoved into his pockets, without another word.

_I wonder where he's going?_ Ichigo frowned, her fingers curling around the cloth in her hand. There was so much about him she didn't know, and for a guy that had changed her from normal to a Mew Mew he sure acted like a jerk. For one thing, he never seemed sorry that he had totally upended her life! She turned and noticed Retasu staring after him as well; she had a strange look on her face.

"Don't worry," Ichigo told her, patting Retasu's arm as she passed, "Ryou can take care of himself." _And if he can't, too bad_, she added silently. She sighed, heard a new couple enter the café and turned, a bright smile shining on her face as she welcomed them in and ushered them to their seats. She usually did like working in the café, but a day off would be heaven at this point. Just a day to do nothing at all, maybe go get ice cream with Ayoama? As she handed menus to the newcomers, she thought maybe she wouldn't even want to do that. Was it so wrong to want one day – a single day – just to herself?


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Thanks for following the story this far - hope you are enjoying it :) I know the chapters are super short, but I just find it easy to write quick scenes like this. Feel free to drop me a PM if you have any questions.

-Zen

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Kisshu hung back just enough so as not to be seen. Most of the time he didn't care if any stupid humans saw him, but he didn't want Ichigo to see him just yet. Actually, he wasn't sure he wanted her to see him at all.

She looked exhausted: her feet dragged, scuffing the concrete. Her head was tilted downwards and her red hair hung in her face. It was dangerous, seeing her like this. Even now he could feel the very fibers of his body being pulled towards her. He wanted to rush down there, wrap his arms around her, and lift her up into the sky and disappear to a place where it would just be the two of them.

He wanted to kiss her again.

Kisshu knew he shouldn't be there at all. He should be back with Pai and Taruto plotting their next attack. But he was here, following Ichigo as she walked home. Looking down on her like... what was the saying the humans had? A lovesick poodle? It was some sort of animal. He shook his head; he never should have gotten so close – he never should have kissed her that first time.

It was wrong, the way he felt. He should not be feeling this way for a human. He knew that. He had a very important, very specific job to do. Why was he here if not to reclaim this world for his people – his family? Yet still he remained, following her as the sun disappeared. He watched as she yawned, stretching her arms above her head and revealing sharp teeth.

Then again, she wasn't exactly human anymore.

With a wisp of a grin, Kisshu disappeared only to reappear next to Ichigo, leaving shimmering air in his wake. His heart jumped at the momentary shock on her face as she saw him, her eyes darting from side to side.

"There's no one else around kitty cat," he told her, crossing his arms.

To his surprise, she sighed. "What do you want Kisshu, I'm really not in the mood."

He frowned. Where was the sass and fight he was used to seeing from her? She must really be tired. "What, I can't just come say hi?" He teased.

She shot him a glare. Ah, that was more like it.

"With you it's never just 'hi'. It's always you attacking and me having to stop you. It's like you don't know _how_ to have a regular conversation."

Kisshu clutched at his heart, grinning. "Aw kitty cat, you cut me straight down to the heart!"

"Yeah, right. I don't think you have a heart."

That one did hurt. Of course he had a heart. It was paining him right now for too many reasons – all of which had to do with the girl standing in front of him. His heart was the reason his job had become so complicated.

It was tempting to leave her with a biting remark of his own and disappear into the night, but there was something in the way her eyes looked off into nothing and the way the corners of her mouth pulled down that made him hold his tongue. Instead, he dropped down, his feet landing on the concrete beside hers. He searched her eyes with his own, frowning.

"What is it Ichigo? What's bothering you?"


	4. Chapter 4

Ichigo looked away from Kisshu's eyes. For the first time he was standing next t her, not hovering. It felt strange... like he was too close. He was still a bit taller than her so that when she did manage to meet his eyes, she had to look up. He _did_ look sincere – which scared her. It sent shivers through her to see him so serious, to see him frowning as he asked what was bothering her.

"Ichigo?"

She looked away, heart racing. This was _Kisshu_, she couldn't tell him anything. He was the enemy! He wasn't even human.

She felt his hand rest gently on her shoulder. "What is it?"

And that's when, to her great embarrassment tears filled her eyes. One minute she was fine, containing it all, the next she was a crying mess. She wasn't sure if she moved forward or he pulled her close, but she was crying onto his chest next thing she knew, his arm wrapped around her. Surprisingly, it was comforting. Just to be held, to be safe in someone's arms while you cried.

The tears dried up quickly and still she leaned against him, sniffing. His one hand was smoothing her hair, and he was humming. It was so faint, she wouldn't have heard it if she hadn't been tucked under his chin. She pulled back so she could see his face.

"What is that?"

"What?"

"You're humming."

"Was I?" He gave her half a grin then looked out over her head, smile fading. "It's nothing, just something I used to hear when I was little."

"Did your mom sing it?"

He didn't answer. Releasing her but still keeping her close he said: "Come on, let's walk. I haven't really done any walking on earth, might as well be with you."

Silence hung between them like stars until he asked: "Why were you so upset? Ichigio?"

She glanced at him, wondering what she should say if anything. Earlier she had felt like she couldn't talk to anyone, none of her family or the other Mew Mews. But Kisshu? It didn't seem to make much sense, but he _had_ held her while she'd cried. He couldn't be all bad, if he could do something like that.

He seemed to know where her thoughts were and said: "I know you might not want to tell me... that's fair. I haven't given you much reason to trust me."

"I... it's okay. It's just that so much has changed in so short a time – like my whole life!" And to her surprise, Ichigo found herself telling him everything. She told him about how she kept so many secrets from her family and Ayouma and her friends. How hard it was to keep her cat ears and tail from popping out in public. How she felt like she was getting worn out with school and work and fighting all the time. She didn't tell him any plans or anything like that so... it was okay, wasn't it?

He listened well and it almost felt normal to be talking to him, to be walking beside him.

"It's just become so much... there's been so much change and I... I really just want to go back o being normal."

"But if you were normal," Kisshu pointed out, "we never would have met and my people would already have this planet. At least this way we get to... know each other."

She smiled up at him. "Yeah. You're not really so scary, you know that Kisshu?"

"Scary, me?" He gave her a sharp grin and was rewarded with the sound of her laugh. He wished with an aching heart that the night would not end.


	5. Chapter 5

"Do you miss anyone back home?"

Kisshu hadn't expected the question. He looked down at the girl next to him, clasping his hands behind his back to keep from reaching out to touch her. He wanted to tell her no, he didn't miss anyone. That's what he was supposed to say. He was supposed to be a warrior in this mission, and warriors were strong. They had no weaknesses.

"Yes," he told her. "Yes I do."

"Do... do you still have family there?"

"Watch your step!" He held out an arm, stopping Ichigo from walking into an uncovered manhole. He frowned at her. "You're the one used to walking on the ground – shouldn't you be watching where you're going?"

A blush rose high in her cheeks as she looked down into the darkness of the hole. "I.. I guess I got distracted."

He couldn't be annoyed with her, not when she looked up at him like that.

"Thanks," she said quietly, looking away again.

He sighed. "Come on, this way." He took her arm gently and led her around the hole, not minding in the least when she leaned into him.

Soon enough they reached her house though. He knew it was hers just by the way she looked over at it. Her glance said it all – she didn't want to go in any more than he wanted her to.

"Thanks," she told him again. "For listening and for... not letting me fall." She gave him a bit of a smile and then he watched her walk up to the house. He wanted to call her back, but words refused to come to him. She paused, glancing back and giving him a little wave. He waved his own hand, rising up into the air after she stepped inside. A frown weighed down his mouth.

He didn't like knowing that what he and his friends were doing was causing such sadness. They weren't trying to hurt anyone, they just wanted this planet back. They needed it back.

But to see Ichigo cry the way she had and hear her talk that way... things were not working out like they were supposed to. Is heart fluttered as he recalled the feeling of her in his arms. He hadn't wanted to ever let her go.

Pai and Taruto were waiting for him when he got back.

"Where have you been?" Pai asked, his eyes revealing nothing.

"Just doing some snooping. Why, did you miss me?" he grinned and moved over to join them by the holographic display screen. Pai had a map of Tokyo pulled up.

"We were just debating on the possible areas which might serve best for our plans," Pai told him, ignoring the quip.

"You should cross off the places we've already been to," Taruto said, pointing to a park and a lake. "They won't be surprised if we do that again."

"Ah, but if we are using our new plan, it will be nothing like our previous attempts," Pai countered. "And would it not be more of a surprise to use the same place? They'd never expect it. Don't you argue Kisshu?"

"Hm?" He hadn't really been listening but his friends were looking at him now, expecting an answer. They wanted his opinion – after all, it had been his idea. But right now the last thing he felt like doing was plotting. How could he after listening to Ichigo? And suddenly he understood what she had meant when she said she'd felt like she had no one to talk to, because in this moment he felt the same. Non of his people would understand, even if he were home. They all believed this planet was rightfully theirs and that humans were parasites destroying it. It was true... wasn't it? It no longer seemed so clear.

"Kisshu?"

"Yeah, sure whatever," he said at last. "I don't care where it happens so long as it happens. Location isn't important." And with that he vanished from them, leaving behind only a faint ripple in the air.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys! A little later than the others but still on Sunday so this is good :) Hope you are enjoying the fic~

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Ichigo lay on her bed in the dark. Her eyes felt tired and sore from her tears earlier. She held her cell phone up and stared at Ayoama's picture, her thumb hovering over the call button. She should want to call him, should want to hear his voice. Then again, it WAS late and he was probably already sleeping. She didn't want to wake him. And he wouldn't want to listen to her complain anyways.

Sighing, she shut her phone and stared up at her ceiling. Had she really confessed her worries to Kisshu? Had she really cried in front of him? Inside her house with her thoughts clear, it suddenly seemed like the stupidest thing she could have done. He was the enemy – he was the reason she had to be a Mew Mew and fight and work in the cafe after school.

She should have just told Retasu.

With a groan, Ichigo pressed her pillow against her face. She fell asleep soon after, only to awake a few hours later to a rough tongue licking her cheek. Scrambling up as soon as she jerked awake and tried to push the cat away but it was too late – she had already begun to change.

"Why me?" she meowed, hanging her head. Then she looked up at the wide-eyed cat now standing with its tail straight up in the air at the end of her bed. It was the neighbour's cat, the white and brown one.

"Are you just going to sit there and stare at me all night?" Ichigo demanded, standing up on all four paws. "It's your fault this happened you know."

The other cat stiffened. "But you – I – I just..." He blinked. "What just happened? Cuz you were human like, two minutes ago."

"You kissed me, that's what." She flicked her tail, sizing him up then took a few paw steps forward. "Now come on, hurry up and kiss me again so I can change back okay?"

"What? No way!"

"Hey you can't leave me like this-" But he was off like a shot, leaping onto the window sill and out into the night. "Get back here!"

Ichigo had to admit that her favourite thing about being in cat form was how quick she could move. Sure she got some of the speed and grace as a Mew Mew, but it was nothing compared to this. She raced out the window after the tom, her eyes on his tail as she gave chase. He was pretty fast himself but she'd been around longer than him and had the advantage of human thoughts combined with the instincts of a cat. He tried to lose her down an ally but she headed him off.

"Okay you," she growled, advancing on him slowly. "I don't like this any more than you do but I REFUSE to stay a cat so-"

"Well how was I supposed to know?" His fur was raised as he took a couple steps backwards.

"You shouldn't be sneaking into anyone's room to start with! Or do you just go prowling for open windows?"

"You were having a bad dream though," he mewed, looking away.

"What?" She stopped short, ears perked straight up.

"I was just passing by, I swear, but I could hear you moaning in your sleep and when I sat on your window sill you were tossing and turning a lot. I thought... it always helps my human when he has bad dreams to lick his face," the tom finished, paws shuffling in the alley dirt. "I was just trying to help."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Thanks for reading and get ready, because things are about to get complicated...**

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Pai crossed his arms. "If this plan is to succeed where the others have failed, we need to be very thorough. I am assuming, since you suggested it, that you have an idea as to how we can prevent their transformations? Kisshu?"

"Huh?" His companions both hung suspended before him, waiting for his answer. "Yeah, of course. It's..." He hesitated. "It's the pendants they wear."

"Pendants?"

Kisshu shot them both a look of disdain, his yellow eyes flashing."Haven't either of you ever noticed that's where the whole glow thing starts?"

Pai only raised an eyebrow, unmoved.

"Well it's either that or you figure out how they were allowed to begin to change to begin with but that could take a lot more work."

"Why?" Taruto asked with a frown that looked more like a pout.

"Because," Kisshu rolled his eyes, "we don't have a clue what changed them from regular, boring humans into Mew Mews."

"We could take DNA samples," Pai mused.

"That would take ages. You really want to wait that long?"

"Are _you_ willing to hinge this entire plan on the charms they wear?"

"We've created plans based on less." When Pai didn't even bat an eye, Kisshu sighed. "_Yes._"

Why did it feel like they kept questioning him? Didn't they trust him anymore? Or was it Deep Blue – had their master been saying things about him? A sudden fear that Deep Blue knew of his talking with Ichigo gripped him before he realized it was impossible. How could he, when Deep Blue really only ever knew what they told him? Until Deep Blue came into his power, there was no way his master could know.

So why was he so worried?

It was the plan. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but having listened to Ichigo it suddenly felt like a betrayal – and that seemed even worse. Wasn't it a betrayal to his people _not_ to fight the Mew Mews? Wasn't it his duty? But what about Ichigo?

The lines were getting blurred and Kisshu didn't like it. He knew – he could tell – that Ichigo wasn't the enemy. She fought for his enemy sure, and fought to keep the planet from him, but she wasn't the enemy. She was misled maybe, misinformed.

If he could make her see that, make her see that she was wrong, maybe that would work. Maybe then they wouldn't have to fight. Then she wouldn't be his enemy and she wouldn't be in the way of his goal. He wouldn't be betraying his people or her trust.

And she wasn't even technically human, was she? As a Mew Mew, she was some sort of hybrid. Some sort of mutant.

Maybe it would be worth taking those DNA samples after all. If he could prove to her that way, prove it with Pai's research, she wouldn't be able to deny it. What would be holding her to the people of earth then? If she knew she wasn't fully human anymore, would that be enough to persuade her to come away with him?

With his mind set, Kisshu followed after Pai and Taruto. He would convince them to do the DNA tests, convince them he had thought about it and they were right – they needed more proof. It wasn't a lie, not really, but then why did his stomach twist?


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to all my new followers! You guys rock and I'm glad to see people enjoying the story :)**

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Ichigo frowned, her black tail moving back and forth behind her slowly. She didn't remember having had a nightmare, but then again she had been jolted awake so fast any dream would have fled like a fog in the morning.

The white and brown tom across from her seemed honest. He definitely seemed embarrassed about the whole thing. He kept looking down at his paws and shuffling the alley dirt around.

She sighed, sitting down.

"Okay," she told him. "I should probably thank you for your... for trying to comfort me, it's just that I'm still a cat. It doesn't exactly put me in a good mood when this happens."

He glanced up at her, curious. "Why not? What's so great about being human?"

Ichigo held up a paw. "Hands. Hands are awesome." In the moment he took to consider that, she leapt forward and kissed him quick. She changed back almost immediately and scooped the shocked tom up into her arms before he could scamper off.

"Oh no you don't," she laughed as he struggled with his small paws trying to push her away. "See? Hands are awesome." She started walking back, ignoring how tired she felt. She really just wanted to go back to bed and sleep for a couple of days. When he settled down a bit, accepting his fate although grumbling about it, she scratched behind his ears. His tail swished back and forth across her arms.

"We ran a fair way," she whispered to him. The night was quiet and it made goosebumps rise on her arms and legs. She was barefoot too, but at least that meant she didn't have to listen to the echo of her own footsteps. It did make her feel colder though.

The cat gave a grunt, refusing to comment.

That's when she heard it: voices. Voices that weren't taking care to be quiet. All the little hairs stood up on the back of her neck because she recognized them.

Before she could think about what she was about to do, Ichigo dashed forward and pressed herself into the shadow of the nearest building. With her heart hammering and still gripping the tom close to her, she moved slowly, inch by inch, until she could see around the corner. She needn't have worried so much: Pai and Taruto thought humans too stupid and useless to interfere.

The pair of them hung in the air next to a streetlight, arguing.

"It should work flawlessly."

"That's what you said last time," Taruto snorted, lacing his fingers behind his head and rotating so that he hung upside down in the air.

"I thought you liked this plan," Pai raised an eyebrow. His friend grumbled.

"It's not the plan." He paused, twitching his nose. "It's Kisshu."

Ichigo caught her breath, tightening her grip on the top as he wriggled in her arms.

"He's acting all strange and keeps disappearing! I thought this was _his_ plan. Shouldn't he be here?"

"He clearly has something on his mind. Something is amiss and he must snap out of it before the attack. He must decide where his loyalties lie."

Taruto gave a little noise of annoyance, moving so that he was right ways up again.

Pai did a final scan of the area. "Come, I have the measurements required."

And they were gone. Ichigo let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her blood was chilled in her veins. What were they up to? And what was Kisshu doing? She had been so stupid to trust him, so stupid to talk to him. Had she revealed anything? Her stomach flipped as she worried. Should she tell the others? She knew she should but that would mean telling them she had spoken to Kisshu – not as an enemy but as a friend.


End file.
